February & March Newsletter

 
     
   
 
 

 
 
     
 
 
 

 
 
 
     
 
 

February& March Newsletter Topics

  
 
     
 
  • Animal Feeds
 
 
  • Cereals
  
 
  • Grass Seed
 
     
     

 
 

Animal Feed

 
     
 
Acorn Pedigree Cooked Calf Muesli
 
     
 
This muesli concentrate is an excellent starter feed for calves from birth.  It includes quality cooked ingredients, such as barley, maize, full fat soya and peas, improving digestibility. The inclusion of special flavours enhances palatability and stimulates appetite at an early age, vital for achieving good growth rates.
  
     
 
Feeding the Ewe in Late Pregnancy
 
     
 
  • Nutrition in late pregnancy is critical as 70% of lamb growth occurs in the last 6 weeks and the energy requirements of the ewe increase significantly – Start feeding in-lamb ewes 0.2Kgs and increase gradually to approximately 1Kg per head per day at lambing.
  • Quinns 17% and 18% Sheep coarse rations and cubes provide optimum protein nutrition to ensure ample colostrum production, giving your lambs the best start
  
     
 
Fill Your Milk Quota this Spring
 
 
  • Milk Excel is an excellent high-energy, 19% dairy cube, formulated to meet the requirements of high yielding dairy herds, 6000 litres plus, on grass silage. 
  • Contains a high level of native cereals and quality protein sources such as soya and distillers
  • Citrus pulp and soya hulls are important components in providing a digestible source of fibre 
  • The inclusion of protected fat helps to maintain body condition in early lactation and also improve milk yield 
  • Milk Excel contains a unique package of protected minerals blended with a range of vitamins to promote optimum health and natural immunity, reducing the risk of lameness and mastitis.  High levels of vitamin E help boost the immune system. The inclusion of Iodex, a protected form of Iodine, also prevents iodine deficiency from having a negative influence on fertility.

Quinns also manufacture quality dairy coarse rations blended with native cereals and pulses and we would be happy to formulate a ration to suit your particular requirements. 

A healthy cow is a profitable cow

 
     
 
 
 

Cereals

 
 

 

  
  Winter Cereals  
     
  Due to the poor weather conditions in the autumn and winter a lot of winter crops never received a winter herbicide, it is still possible to use DFF and IPU up to the end of February. Other options include Pacifica, Hussar and the DuPont range of sulfonlyureas. Also crops which did not receive any P or K in the autumn need urgent attention now. Consider using 18 – 6 – 12 or 10 – 10 – 20 as soon as possible to reduce risk of stunted growth.  
     
  Spring Cereals  
     
 

As ground conditions are beginning to dry farmers are beginning to plough again for spring corn. Quinns have a wide selection of spring barley varieties and the principle spring wheat variety we have this year is Trappe.

We are offering an excellent contract price for Spring Oil Seed Rape this harvest so contact Quinns for details on varieties and price available. 		 
     
 

Reseeding

 
 

 

  
 

Generally from mid-April onwards conditions are ideal for reseeding.  However this is also the time when there is considerable pressure to supply pasture to grazing livestock and for first–cut silage production.  On a number of farms the most suitable time for reseeding is during late June and July when all/most silage has been made, and when there is generally a surplus of grass.  Furthermore the new sward becomes quickly established in August – once conditions are not too dry – and the ground is back in the grazing rotation by mid-September – a crucial time to have high covers of grass on farms. 

Reseeded pastures are significantly more productive than old pastures.  An extra yearly 2-3 tonnes DM/hectare can be achieved with new pasture, over what is achievable from old pastures, containing a reduced level of perennial ryegrass, and having a significant level of weeds.  In grazing land, newly reseeded pastures deliver excellent growth during the shoulders of the season i.e. early spring and late autumn.  Also new perennial varieties have excellent re-growth potential in April (following an early grazing) and deliver very leafy – high feed value – swards in mid-summer.  Older pastures tend to go stemmy at this time and deteriorate rapidly in quality, and accordingly animal performance dips.  On silage ground, reseeded pastures deliver extra yield, but even more importantly, the digestibility (feeding value) of the silage is generally 2-3 units higher.


By and large, irrespective of the method used, reseeding is a costly operation (approx. €175/acre).  However we would urge you to take into consideration that you will be living with the results for possibly 10 years or more.  Reseeding is a long-term investment in the future profitability of your livestock enterprise, and you simply MUST get it right.  Taking short-cuts is not an option !  Selecting the right grass seed mixtures to match the intended use for this pasture is all important.  We would urge you to choose to reseed with a quality ACORN Grass Seed Mixture, which we are confident are technically superior blends that will deliver the extra grass yield but also very importantly, the much improved feed value (grass quality), that you are seeking.